The present invention relates generally to a basket for a dishwasher, and in particular to a basket of a type having at least one shaped, comb-like divider that is pivotably mounted so as to be movable between an erect position and a lowered position, for adapting the basket to the number and/or type of articles to be loaded into the basket.
Many baskets for dishwashers of such a type are known. These are generally made of metal wire with one or more comb-like dividers that are pivotably mounted to the base or to the sides of the basket. As described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,606,464 and 5,205,419 for example, the movable dividers are associated with hinges and flexible elements having a snap-engagement action for selectively locking the dividers in position. Such constructions are undesirably complicated and are undesirably liable to wear, abrasion, and breakage of the flexible snap-engagement elements. In addition, the movable dividers and the associated engagement elements are constrained to undesirably precise dimensional tolerances, which make manufacture and assembly thereof a laborious procedure.
Constructions are also known, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,248, in which shaped hinges with support grooves are capable of selectively locking the movable dividers in an erect or a lowered position, without the need for providing snap-engagement elements. In order to displace a movable divider from the erect position to the lowered position, it is necessary to effect an axial disengagement movement and then a rotary movement. That means that, when a movable divider is in an erect position for supporting for example plates, accidental axial displacement of the divider can cause it to fall, so that the plates consequently fall. Thus, such a construction can be improved.